HYDE CHESHIRE

Harry Rutherford's Festival of Britain Mural

Monday, 26 July 2010

Fernbank Farm

Fernbank Farm, or Raymonds Farm as it was affectionately known, stood on Stockport Road near to the junction with Lilly Street. It was a rundown old farm which was owned by a lovely man called Raymond who was also a milkman. He was a real character with whom I used to love to share stories with. Sadly the old farm was demolished circa 2003 and and Raymond moved to a house next door to the Werneth pub.

After the farm was demolished this stone plaque was uncovered and now is proudly displayed on Oxford Road next to where the old farm stood.

On the site of the farm is now a small housing estate called Fernbank Court which was built by Loxleys - twelve houses on the site of which was one dwelling ! Fernbank court is in the centre of this map just below Oxford House..

1838

In 1838 the Working Men's Institute was opened, Hyde saw trouble with the Chartists... Thomas Ashton stood before a grand jury at Chester assizes, asking that Hyde might be appointed as an additional polling place in the district of Stockport.

In 1838 the population was 11,000,... the number of paupers in Hyde that year was nine, four men and five women, the former received £26 10s. 6d., and the latter £29 14s. 4d.; there were 24 other cases of pauper expense, amounting to £207 3s. lOd.

The inhabitants were occupied in farming, spinning, weaving, mining, and in the ordinary retail business of a small market town. There were 35 steam engines, and about 6,000 hands employed in the mills. In these mills 48,000 Ibs. of cotton wool were spun into yarn No. 24, and woven by 1,200 looms, working at the rate of 125 shoots per minute, into 1,500 pieces of 25 yards long. The average wages per week, for children was 3s to 5 shilling, women 12 shilling and for men 24 - 25 shillings.

6 comments:

I remember this farm well Nancy... I recall Chickens running about the yard at one time.... but it always looked on it's last legs and unkept... I wonder what happen to the 1838 stone plaque, I hope it survived and one day gets pride of place in a garden or wall..

The stone plaque is in my neighbours garden. We gave it Pride of place so the old farm never gets forgotten. Yes, the chickens were ones Raymond bred until someone came one night and nicked them all as they did his furniture. Do you remember him herding his cows up Lilly St ,to a field behind Hyde Hospital, single handedly ? he was such a character.:)

I seem to recall some cows there... but I can't place the farmer... mores the pity... I've added a few facts from the Annals Of Hyde.. to go along with the date 1838... it had stuck in my mind as I'd been reading about the Chartists.

I remember Fernbank Farm [only we didnt know it by that name]. It was always Martin's Farm or the Smelly Farm. Old Mr Martin, Raymond's father, used to chase us if we went into his field at the top of Smithy Fold Road to take a short cut to the playground at Clough Gate. He was a bit scary really.

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